Guide for cutting paper and the like



Oct. 22, 1968 H. N. SCHLEICH GUIDE FOR CUTTING PAPER AND THE LIKE FiledMay 12, 1967 INVENTOR. HAROLD N. SCHLEICH ATTORNEY United States PatentYork Filed May 12, 1967, Ser. No. 638,076 3 Claims. (Cl. 33107) ABSTRACTOF THE DISCLOSURE A guide for use in cutting paper, cardboard and thelike consists of an extruded, elongated body having a flat bottomsurface with a straight guiding edge along at least one side thereof anda flange directed upwardly from the guiding edge and presenting an outerflange surface which is inclined, at an angle of 30 to 45, away from theperpendicular to the bottom surface so that the users fingers can engagethe upper surface of the body immediately in back of the flange,particularly in a shallow locating groove there provided, to securelyposition the guide on paper or the like as the latter is cut by a sharptool moved along the guiding edge, while the flange protects the fingerstherebehind from injury by the cutting tool jumping the guiding edge.

This invention relates to a guide or ruler for use in cutting paper,cardboard or other sheet material.

A'steel or other metal ruler is frequently used in the printing orgraphic arts as a straight edge along which a sharp knife, razor bladeor other cutting tool can be drawn to make a straight cut in paper,cardboard or other sheet material. However, there is always the dangerthat the cutting tool will jump over the guiding edge of the ruler andmore or less seriously cut the users fingers by which the ruler is heldin position on the material being cut. Although rulers have beenprovided with a handle projecting upwardly therefrom substantiallymidway between the longitudinal edges, for example, as disclosed in US.Patents Nos. 434,660 and 470,754, a handle of that character cannotafford protection against cutting of the fingers when using the ruler asa guide for a sharp cutting tool. If the handle is grasped by thefingers, a cutting tool jumping an edge of the ruler is not preventedfrom contacting, and thereby injuring those fingers disposed at the sideof the handle facing toward the edge of the ruler used to the cuttingtool. On the other hand, if the fingers used to position the ruler areengaged only with the upper surface of the ruler in back of the handle,that is, at the side of the handle facing away from the ruler edge usedto guide the cutting tool, so that the handle acts to shield suchfingers from the cutting tool in the event that the latter jumps theguiding edge, then the application of the holding pressure by thefingers is laterally remote from the guiding edge and it becomesdiflicult to prevent shifting of the ruler during the cutting operation,particularly if the cutting tool is made to bear rather heavily againstthe guiding edge so as to accurately follow the latter even when cuttingrelatively thick resistant material, such as, cardboard.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a cuttingguide, in the form of a straight-edge or ruler, which may be securelypositioned during the movement of a cutting tool along an edge thereofand which affords effective protection to the users fingers positioningor holding the guide.

Another object is to provide a cutting guide affording protection to theusers fingers holding the same against being cut by the cutting tooljumping the edge of the guide along which such tool is moved, withoutinterfering 3,406,456 Patented Oct. 22, 196g with either the movement ofthe cutting tool or the users view of the line along which a cut isbeing made.

A further object is to provide a cutting guide having the describedcharcteristics and which is simple in construction so as to besusceptible to relatively low cost production, as by extrusion.

In accordance with an aspect of the invention, a guide for the purposesindicated comprises an elongated body which is substantially wider thanit is high and has a flat bottom surface with a rectilinear edge alongone side for guiding a cutting tool in movement therealong, and whichfurther has a flange therealong directed upwardly from the guiding edgeand presenting an outer flange surface which is inclined, at an acuteangle preferably in the range from 30 to 45 away from a perpendicular tothe flat bottom surface. Thus, the users fingers can engage the uppersurface of the body immediately in back of the flange, that is, near tothe guiding edge, for securely holding the guide against shifting duringthe cutting operation, and such fingers are effectively protected frombeing cut by the cutting tool. Further, by reason of the inclination ofthe outer flange surface, the flange does not interfere with viewing ofthe line along which the cut is being made nor with the free movement ofthe cutting tool in guiding contact with the straight edge at the bottomof the flange.

It is a further feature of the invention to provide the upper surface ofthe guide body with a shallow groove, preferably of arcuatecross-section, disposed immediately in back of the flange to safelylocate the users fingers by which the guide is to be held during acutting operation.

The above, and other objects, features and advantages of the invention,will be apparent in the following detailed description of anillustrative embodiment which is to be read in connection with theaccompanying drawing, wherem:

. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a guide in accordance with thisinvention, and showing, in broken lines, a persons hands positioned foruse of the guide; and

FIG. 2 is an enlarged end view of the guide.

Referring to the drawing in detail, it will be seen that the guide '10embodying this invention is generally in the form of a ruler orstraight-edge having an elongated body 11 which is substantially widerthan it is high and formed with a flat bottom surface 12. A rectilinearedge 13 extends longitudinally along one side of bottom surface 12, anda flange 14 is directed upwardly from edge 13 along the length of body11.

Flange 14 is shown to present an outer surface 15 thereof which isinclined at an acute angle a (FIG. 2) away from a perpendicular to thebottom surface 12. The angle a is between approximately 30 and 45 andpreferably closer to the lower limit of such range of angles.

The upper surface 16 of body 11 is preferably formed with a shallowgroove 17 extending therealong immediately in back of flange 14, andsuch groove 17 is desirably formed with a arcuate cross-section thatmerges smoothly into the inner or back surface of flange 14, as shown onFIG. 2.

If desired, the longitudinal edge 18 of body 11 which is remote fromedge 13 may also be rectilinear and parallel to edge 13, with the uppersurface of body 11 sloping downwardly to edge 18, as at 19. In order tominimize the amount of material required for guide 10, the upper surfaceof body 11 may be stepped downwardly, as at 20, along the inner marginof sloping surface portion 19. Suitable scales may be etched, scribed,printed or otherwise applied to outer flange surface 15 and slopingsurface portion 19, as at 20 and 21 (FIG. 1). The scale 20 may beemployed for measuring the lengths of cuts made along edge 13, whilescale 21 may be used as a conventional measuring ruler.

In using the guide for the cutting of paper, cardboard or other sheetmaterial, the guide is positioned on such sheet material with its edge13 extending along the line of the desired cut. The fingers of one hand22 are engaged with upper surface 16, particularly in groove 17immediately in back of flange 14, as shown in broken lines on FIG. 1,and made to bear down heavily on body 11 so that bottom surface 12 isheld in strong frictional engagement with the sheet material to resistshifting of the guide. With guide 10 thus positioned, a razor, knife orother sharp cutting tool 23 held by the other hand 24, also as shown inbroken lines on FIG. 1, can be moved along guiding edge 13 to producethe desired cut. Since the fingers of hand 22 can engage the uppersurface of body 11 immediately in back of flange 14, that is, atpositions laterally close to edge 13, the pressure exerted by suchfingers can effectively resist shifting of the guide during the cuttingoperation even when tool 23 is made to bear strongly aginst edge 13 soas to closely follow that edge in the cutting of resistant material,such as cardboard.

It will be apparent that the fingers engaging body 11 close to edge 13nevertheless lie behind flange 14 and thus are protected from contact bycutting tool 23, as when the latter jumps edge v13. The describedinclination of flange surface 15 ensures that the flange will notinterfere with the movement of the cutting tool therealong in guidingcontact with edge 13, and further that the view of edge 13, and hence ofthe line along which a cut is being made, will not be obstructed. Theselection of the angle a betwen 30 and 45 ensures that while the aboveadvantages of inclination are attained, the flange surface 15 will besufficiently sloped to prevent riding of the cutting tool up surface 15and over the upper edge of flange 15 into contact with the fingers ofhand 22.

The guide 10 in accordance with this invention is preferably ofone-piece construction, as shown, and may be conveniently andeconomically produced by extrusion of aluminum of suitablecross-sectional configuration, as shown on FIG. 2. Such an aluminumextrusion may be surface hardened by convenional treatments to preventmarring thereof, particularly at the guiding edge 13, by the repeatedmovement of a sharp cutting tool therealong.

Although a particular embodiment of the invention has been described indetail herein with reference to the accompanying drawing, it is to beunderstood that the invention is not limited to that precise embodiment,and

that various changes and moditfications may be effected therein by oneskilled in the art without departing from the scope or spirit of theinvention as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed .is:

1. A guide for use in cutting sheet material comprising an elongatedbody which is substantially wider than it is high and has a flat bottomsurface with a-rectilinear edge extending longitudinally along at leastone side thereof for guiding a cutting tool in movement therealong, saidbody further having a flange directed upwardly from, and extending alongsaid one edge, said flange extending at an acute angle away from aperpendicular to said bottom surface in a direction over said body, saidflange presenting an inner flange surface which is spaced substantiallyfrom the longitudinal median of said body in the direction toward saidone edge and an outer flange surface which extends to and defines asharp corner with said bottom surface at said one edge, the uppersurface of the body has a shallow groove extending therealongimmediately in back of said flange to receive and locate the usersfingers by which the guide is positioned, so that the upper surface ofsaid body can be engaged by the users fingers in said groove at the sideof said longitudinal median toward said one edge and immediately in backof said inner surface of the flange to securely position the guide onsheet material as the latter is being cut by a tool moved along saidguiding adge without peril to such fingers from the tool jumping theedge.

2. A guide according to claim 1, in which said acute angle is in therange from to 3. A guide according to claim 1, in which said body andflange are integral parts of an extrusion.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 407,144 7/ 1889 Wright 33107422,701 3/1890 Benzinger et al. 33-107 1,835,364 12/1931 Woerner 33-107X FOREIGN PATENTS 921,010 1/ 1947 France. 347,178 1/1922 Germany.905,888 3/1954 Germany.

HARRY N. HAROIAN, Primary Examiner.

